SAR History

Kurt Cramer introduces us to the history of Southern Arizona Region (SAR) as reported in Archived issues of the Zuffenhausen News plus old club records. Scroll on down to see what happened Years Ago.

May 21, 1967

A letter of petition was sent to National PCA for recognition as a Chartered Region. The name of the region was to be PCA, Southern Arizona Region. Fifteen PCA members signed the letter. How did the result of the petition turn out? -Kurt

July 1971

The newsletter was two 8 1/2" X 11" pages, printed on both sides. The editor was Gus Brocksen. Jeff Gamble wrote a short article about the upcoming time trial at Holtville 60 miles west of Yuma. He would be driving the Sun-West Porsche 914-6. The General Meeting was held at the Blue Sahuaro Steak House on North Dodge Blvd. Under local competition results for the SCCA Slalom for July 11:

A-Modified

2nd Reinking 356A

4th Gamble 914-6

A-Stock

1st Hart 911T

3rd Latkowsky 914-6

4th Ried 914-6

6th Fry 911

C-Stock

1st Cloutier 912

4th Kauth 914

Ladies

1st Hofer 914-6

-Kurt

May 1972

The monthly general membership meeting was held May 1st at the Blue Saguaro Steak House on North Dodge.

On May 7th, a Tecate Autocross was held in the Tucson Community Center parking lot. It was an overwhelming success with 80 entries! (These were open events, not Porsche only). A Tecate autocross has two mirror image courses and your best time is the total of your best times on each course. They run two cars at a time! And you try NOT to watch the other guy!

Jeff Gamble was 1st in B Sedan driving an Audi 100LS.

Rink Reinking, 7th in A Modified driving a 914-6.

Mick Griffin, 5th in C Stock driving a 912.

It was announced that there would NOT be a Mt Lemmon Hill Climb in June. The fire danger was too high and the Forest Service did not allow any large-scale events.

This issue also reported on the Six Laps of Piccacho, an autocross held by the local SCCA and the Mini owners of America at Go-Cart track on the old airstrip near Piccacho. El Sam reported that it was not a good day to be running a 911S in A Modified against a hoard of prepared Mini Coopers and a lot of big machinery.

1st in A Mod must have been a Mini Cooper

2nd in A Mod was Alice Hoffer in a 904!

3rd in A Mod was Harry Nueman in his 904

Kurt Cramer managed 4th in the Sure Blo Turbo (Corvair) buggy

10th was Sam Balsey

Jeff Gamble was 1st in B Sedan in his VW 1500

April Gamble was 3rd in B Sedan ladies

-Kurt

July 1986:

The newsletter looked much like the ones of today. It listed the President as Dennis Crowley. In his editorial column he writes about all the cards and flowers he had received! He and Barb had planned the Durango Tour and instead of going he had a triple by-pass! Vice president Craig Wycinsky wrote a great article about the Durango Tour. They rode the train to Silverton, took the bus back to Durango, saw a melodrama, and took a river raft trip (38 degree water). They drove to Ouray and the million-dollar highway. Maybe sometime Larry can rerun the entire 8 pages of the article. Sorry, we couldn't go on it. -Kurt

May 1987:

There were two May 1987 issues of the Zuffenhausen News! One regular issue and on 20th Anniversary Special Collectors Issue by (Editor) Dee Rosado. There was no July issue however! After checking postmarks it became clear that the regular issue was really a June one. Oh well it just keeps the historian on his toes.

President Craig Wycinsky reported on the club trip to the Eloy Grand Prix. They stopped at the Piccacho Peak Restaurant for breakfast. The ordered the regular items, but to their surprise Barb Huhn's cantaloupe had a garnish on top: a cockroach! I guess that ended breakfast for some. Going on to Eloy they met VP Newhall and family where he had reserved parking spaces for everyone. They got to the grandstands and then waited and waited for the races to begin. The first races finally started at the same time as the rain. Oh well, sometimes even the best-planned and organized events just don't work.

Barb Crowley was working her magic as Cinco chairperson in 1987 too. Registration at the Doubletree hotel, with the warm-up party at Casa Molina. The Concours was held at the Doubletree Center Courtyard with a poolside lunch Saturday! Saturday evening started with a caravan through Gates Pass to Old Tucson for the Awards presentation at the Red Dog Saloon and BBQ steaks with all the fixins, plus a shooting spree and entertainment, and many, many door prizes. As a special treat, the Lowenbrau Special 962 was at the the Concours!

Dee Rosado did an excellent job of putting together the 20th Anniversary Collector's Issue of the newsletter. A two-page history of the club, beginning with the very earliest loosely organized Porsche group(s) to the first Zone 8 Concours. We will always remember Dee. -Kurt